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Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic trials Sunday to secure spots in five individual races in London. His time, 51.14 seconds, was the fastest in the world this year.

Tyler McGill got the second Olympic spot in 51.32. Ryan Lochte, in an event he normally doesn't do in major competitions, just missed adding another race to his already busy London program. He was third, 0.33 seconds behind McGill.

Phelps, who won a Games-record eight golds in 2008, is set to swim the same events in London: the 100 and 200 fly, the 200 and 400 individual medley, and the 200 freestyle, and all three relays. But he told NBC after the race he might not swim all eight. His coach, Bob Bowman, said the two would discuss a strategy. "We only want to put (Phelps) in a situation where he can get wins," Bowman said.

In the hyped rivalry between friends Phelps and Lochte, Phelps was the trials winner, beating the ex-Gator in three of their four finals together.

Lochte, who finished his trials with spots in four individual events, surprised everyone by sticking with the 100 fly at the end of a grueling week. But he never intended to swim it in London because it would have left him with three events in one day.

"I have no regrets," he said. "This meet was a training meet. Come London, I'll … be fully rested, and hopefully I'll be a lot faster."

Franklin, 17, locked up her fourth individual event, winning the 200 backstroke in 2 minutes, 6.12 seconds, fastest in the world this year. Florida's Elizabeth Beisel was second to secure a London spot. Former Gator Teresa Crippen was sixth.

Adding three relays to her schedule, Franklin will become the first U.S. woman to swim seven events at the Olympics.

In the women's 800 freestyle, Katie Ledecky won to become the team's youngest member at 15. Becca Mann, 14, who trains in Clearwater, was fifth.

Anthony Ervin, 31, who won gold in the 50 freestyle in 2000, capped an improbable comeback by earning a trip to the Olympics in the event with a runnerup finish to Cullen Jones.

In the women's 50 free semifinals, ex-Gator Dara Torres, 45, earned a spot in tonight's final and a chance to make her sixth Olympics. Not advancing was St. Petersburg's Megan Romano, a Northeast High grad. Not advancing out of the heats were FSU's Tiffany Oliver, Chelsea Hendry and Kaitlyn Dressel, and UF's Kaitlin Frehling, a Seminole High grad.

In the men's 1,500 heats, not advancing were the Gators' Nick Caldwell and Jason Taylor, a Newsome High grad from Plant City, and Chris Swanson, a Tampa Jesuit grad.

Sunday at the U.S. Olympic swim trials: results for Tampa Bay area and state university swimmers 07/01/12
[Last modified: Monday, July 2, 2012 12:41am]
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